After the rain

Brisbane received 1/3 of its annual rainfall last week, which clashed with the planned installation of the roof sheeting.













Plumbing and electrical have gone in, however, with copper piping for internal water supply. The alternative was recycled poly pipe but copper prices had dropped since the start of the project and is 60% recycled, with a long life-span.

Site foreman, Oliver, has been fabricating the sunshading awning frames on site. These awnings, to all windows without adequate roof protection or needing extra shading, will be topped with painted compressed fibre cement sheeting.
The base of the steel stand for the greywater treatment tanks was cut out of the centre of a diamond-tipped saw blade.

Concrete, pre-mixed, comes in fairly large minimum quantities. As the pool edge coping only needs a little, all of the landscaping pavers will be created by the Builder. Also, by reworking ground levels around the Pool Terrace, we have been able to delete almost 7 metres of balustrades and a stair (lots of materials and embodied energy), replacing it with two insitu concrete steps to the side garden, using more of the concrete load.

Colours are being tested out with VOC-free paints and renders.

Fin walls to the west will provide sheltered glimpses to the river, scoop in river-cooled breezes and provide spaces for sitting or displaying objects or artwork. Framed sturdily in pine from the old house and braced with masonite, the carpenters removed a significant amount of steel (and embodied energy) originally engineered for the walls.






Hardwood decks are now finished and sealed.

Scaffolding

Scaffolding is going up to help
with the roof finishing and cladding. The pressure is on to finalise colours!






Ironbark decking is being laid to the rear, fixed with stainless steel nails (pre-drilled) which will fit neatly within the galvanised channel structural border. This new timber (and the roof batten material) comes from managed Australian forests who meet required standards of sustainable practice.

Ready for roofing

All framing for roofs is up and fascias are going on. The builder's suggested a layering of treated pine fascias to protect the end grains of the very deep fascias will work well and create an interesting stepping edge detail, starting with the oversized galvanised steel gutters.

Having the rafters in place gives a clearer idea of the expanse of rainwater collection area to fill the 70,000L of underground water storage.
Rafters were lifted into place by hand rather than with a crane truck, resulting in both financial and environmental savings and a great team-building exercise.





Masonite bracing was used in preference to plywood as it is thinner and is composed of sawmill waste material. Most bracing plys used in Australia are 4mm, made from Asian rainforest timbers. Australian-timber bracing ply is much thicker (starting at 7mm).

Bracing up and roof framing going on

The great purchase of recycled laminated hardwood beams continues to supply materials. Lengths have been lifted into place on the front roof for rafters. Due to their random, rustic nature, the soffits and eaves will be lined to give a cleaner finish, in keeping with the design (and to simplify long-term maintenance).
























Masonite bracing gives more of a sense of the volumes of the spaces and with the s00n-to-be-installed roof, will give a better impression of the overall form.

Bluestone walls to the boundaries and front garden bed are now complete.

The tall gallery space, which will act as the lungs of the building, is taking shape.





























Now that all the floor framing is in, the remaining recycled, laminated hardwood is being used as lintels to the wide door and window openings.